the issue24 July 2011 Celebrating our frontline staff proudly supported by Econtents 2 Life-saving intervention for swine flu patient 3 Introduction from Peter Coles 3 Review to look at ‘Better Services Better Value’ in southwest London 3 Potential St Helier partnership 4 Living our values awards - celebrating kind 5 National Thrombosis Week 5 Patient safety – our top priority 5 Junior doctor programme improves patient safety 6 Patient feedback 6 Past and present Dame Muriel HAPPY ENDING: (l-r) Simon and Stacey outside the intensive care unit in which she spent Powell 32 agonising days 7 View from the top 8 Spotlight Life-saving intervention for 9 New information and support centre for St George’s cancer swine flu patient patients 38-year-old Stacey Raines had no idea Stacey was very ill for a long time, but 10 Celebrating nurses’ day that, when she came to A&E on eventually started to make a good Christmas Eve last year, she would recovery and after 32 days in ICU she was remain in hospital for 42 days. moved onto a cardiac ward. She said: 11 Partnership working combats Stacey began to feel unwell at the end of “I didn’t know how ill I had been and I crime November when she came down with flu. couldn’t believe how much time had 11 National training success in A couple of weeks later she developed an passed – I woke up thinking that it was cardiothoracic surgery aggressive cough and when her ability to Boxing Day and that we should be going 12 St George’s community open day breathe drastically declined on Christmas snowboarding! celebrates a Tooting success story Eve, she went straight back to her GP “I then had to go through a rehabilitation 13 Developing MITIE people who called an ambulance immediately. process while on the ward, as my muscles She was brought to St George’s A&E had wasted away after being bedridden 13 Public pick rose for new breast unit department and was diagnosed with for so long. The staff on the ICU were 13 HOPE exchange swine flu and admitted onto the cardiac amazing – I cannot thank them enough.” 14 AMW balconies opening celebrated intensive care unit (ICU). Stacey’s rehabilitation continued after 14 Grove is officially opened Before New Year’s Eve, Stacey was so sick leaving hospital in the form 14 Family Centred Care (FCC) that her consultants referred her to the of physiotherapy for issues with her coordinator for neo-natal unit Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation muscles, joints and lungs. Four months is a first (ECMO) at centre Glenfield Hospital in later, while just resuming light Leicester. ECMO is used when a patient gym training, Stacey is still some way off getting back to all the sports she used 15 Nursing response team has a serious condition which prevents to enjoy such as cycling, snowboarding provide 24/7 care the lungs or heart from working normally and is a supportive measure that uses an and sailing. 15 Regional fetal medicine day artificial lung to oxygenate the blood Stacey has recently got engaged to her 15 Leading the way in shortening outside the body. While Stacey fulfilled partner, Simon. She said: “He wanted to patient stays the criteria, the centre could not take her propose to me while we were on holiday 16 Fundraising as they were full. but then I got sick so he had to sweat it out a little longer!” The couple are due Front page picture shows Nurses’ Day winners: (l-r The St George’s intensive care unit (ITU) back row): Briar Cooper, healthcare assistant (HCA) of team pressed on with a technique known to get married in New Zealand next year. the Year; Mary Holland, Mentor of the Year. Front as high frequency oscillation. This row: Alice Ciolino, Midwife of the Year; Linda Smith, Nurse of the Year. technique is a specialised ventilation technique and is only performed by a very the gazette is written and published by the few ITU in the country. Date for the diary communications unit. The opinions expressed St George’s Annual General Nick Fletcher, consultant and lead do not necessarily represent those of Meeting (AGM) will take place St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. The next intensivist for cardiac ICU, said: “We find from 6pm–8pm on Thursday 29th edition will be published in October. when conventional ventilation fails as in September in the Monckton If you are a staff member with a story for Stacey’s case, this technique can be Theatre, ground floor, Grosvenor the gazette, please email: lifesaving. It helps to hold the lungs open [email protected] Wing. in the most desperate conditions.” 2 the gazette I am pleased to be writing Review to look at my first introduction in the gazette. ‘Better Services Better Value’ This edition, like previous ones I have read, in southwest London showcases some of the great work that is going on trust-wide. This month Doctors, nurses and therapists are coming together with patients readers can also take the and their representatives to review health services in southwest opportunity to find out London. They are calling the review: Better Services Better Value. more about me and my Six clinical working groups are being formed, looking at the following priorities for the trust in the areas: coming months in view from the top on page 7. l Planned care and end of life care I had the opportunity in l Urgent, unscheduled and emergency care June to help bring one of l Maternity and newborn care the stories to life by l Children’s services awarding the winners of Peter Coles l Polysystems, mental health, long term conditions and staying healthy the trust’s living our values awards with their certificate and vouchers for the value of kind – l Specialist services under London review (for example cancer, cardiac a very pleasant experience for my second week and paediatrics) in post. The NHS spends £2.2 billion annually on health services in southwest Other staff achieving recognition in this edition are London. The review will consider: “Are we spending this money in a way the winners of International Nurses’ Day event, the that benefits patients the most?” and, “Can hospitals work collaboratively coverage of which can be found on pages 10-11. with each other to improve the service we offer to patients?” Another great feature is the coverage of the It is recognised that hospitals across southwest London have areas of St George’s first community open day on page 12. excellence among the services they provide. By exploring how these areas The day attracted around 2,000 people and was a of excellence can be shared, quality across the board can be improved and great way of engaging our local community with services can be protected for all patients. the work of the hospital and the university. The clinical working groups will be discussing the problems and not Finally, I would like to thank all of those staff I have proposing solutions at this stage, so it is too early to start talking about met so far for the warm welcome they have given any proposals for change. However, the overall aim will be to improve me. I look forward to meeting many more of you health outcomes for patients in southwest London within available during my time here and working with resources. you to help St George’s reach its full You can find more information about ’Better Services Better Value’ at potential. www.southwestlondon.nhs.uk. Building bridges Potential St Helier partnership The director of women’s and children’s of the Aga St George’s Healthcare has been formally invited to tender for Khan Institute, Prof Bhutta, and the deans of the partnership with St Helier Hospital, including Sutton Hospital and six medical schools of the Aga Khan visited St Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children. George’s Hospital early in June, to strengthen their understanding of maternal-fetal medicine. The Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust board agreed in December 2010 that the trust is not financially viable in the long term and The meeting was an informal fact finding visit. will not be able to achieve foundation trust status, and made the decision While the trust has no formal relationship at institutional level, Aris Papageorghiou, consultant to explore alternative options in order for Epsom, St Helier and Sutton in obstetrics and gynaecology, collaborates with hospitals to achieve foundation trust status, including the possible de- Prof Bhutta on research and some global health merger and re-merger of its hospitals with partner organisations. initiatives, so it may lead to a relationship in terms St George’s Healthcare was the only NHS trust to express an interest in of St George’s Healthcare helping with trainees partnering St Helier Hospital, and is now working to submit a bid on 16th and even tertiary referrals. September 2011, with the St Helier transaction board due to make a recommendation to the Epsom & St Helier board in October 2011. Bolingbroke Hospital – St George’s Healthcare and St Helier Hospital already have a wide range the final chapter of clinical and academic links. The trust handed over the keys of the Bolingbroke Many services provided by St George’s Healthcare and St Helier Hospital Hospital to Wandsworth Council in March, marking are members of established clinical networks with care pathways the final chapter in the Bolingbroke’s century-long operating across the trusts and a number of joint medical appointments.